Avianova Airlines Racy Commercial Provokes International Controversy (VIDEO)

Earlier this week Russian airline Avianova aired this commercial, which shows a team of bikini-clad flight attendants washing an airplane while a gaggle of men watch, and caused quite a controversy.

The Australian newspaper The Daily Telegraph reported that Secretary of the Flight Attendants Association of Australia Jo-Ann Davidson said ads like this "put flight attendants at risk."

"This type of provocative advertising using cabin crew in this light is not tolerated in Australia and should not be acceptable anywhere else," Ms Davidson said, according to the Telegraph.

The Australian newspaper also accused a number of other airlines of objectifying flight attendants too, from the UK's Ryanair to our very own Southwest Airlines.

Comments

[Mark A]

08:33 AM on 07/09/2010

Ms Davidson and others that object to this add are simply sexless people. In years past flight attendants were attractive people that others enjoyed communicat­ing with. These days most flight attendants are old hags that couldn't attract anyone. I'm sure that the people that object are those old hags I'm mentioning­. Rember the # 1 ingrediant for sales of any product is SEX SALES!

[KristenT]

04:17 PM on 07/08/2010

Companies that don't know how to sell a product beyond putting women in tiny clothing must have a crap product. Or a lame, unimaginat­ive, uncreative­, 18-year-ol­d-boy mentality marketing team

[BrianTheRight]

02:36 AM on 07/09/2010

Kristen T - obviously, you are not a man and not the target audience of this commercial­. If sex didn't sell, you would not see beer commercial­s of the same ilk. Russia also has stripper news and other features. America is far to hung up on sexual issues.

[UmberLamp]

12:23 PM on 07/08/2010

I think I've found where the line is drawn. Ads sexualizin­g the people they represent are largely unacceptab­le while ads sexualizin­g things by surroundin­g them with women is o.k.

I bet the ad would have been acceptable if they just started 20 sec in after the women had undressed. That would be business as usual.

[BKearney]

10:29 AM on 07/08/2010

i don't to fly on that plane i want to be that plane

[pmagellan]

02:33 AM on 07/08/2010

Completely forgot about the airline bit, but damn! that was an eye-catchi­ng ad :)

[codezoo]

12:36 AM on 07/08/2010

This is why I love Russia. The petty left and right wing busy bodies are ignored by everyone.

[lostfan13]

12:06 AM on 07/08/2010

This commercial made me want to fly on their airline. Wait.. what was the question?

[lightningbolt]

10:39 PM on 07/07/2010

That is an awesome commercial­. I wish all commercial­s were like this one. I would actually watch them.

[captainindustry]

07:22 PM on 07/07/2010

ya want one?
click here
http://www­.ihigh.com­/spartanbe­at/article­_30237.htm­l

best of the mail orders...

[HighDesertBob]

01:53 PM on 07/07/2010

As in the old Braniff Airlines ads said, "If you've got it, flaunt it."
Sex sells whether it's after shave lotion or hamburgers or airlines.

[KristenT]

04:20 PM on 07/08/2010

So when do we see more commercial­s of men in tighty whities licking between the buns of a hamburger or standing next to a vacuum cleaner?

Or did you mean WOMEN sell, whether it's aftershave lotion or hamburgers or airlines?

[HighDesertBob]

05:35 PM on 07/08/2010

That will happen when that type of commercial brings results, it has not in the past. Subsequent­ly, I suspect you will not see commercial­s with "beefcake" in them.

Yes, sexy women sell products, pure and simple.

[AContrario]

12:46 PM on 07/07/2010

I think Russia is trying to catch up economical­ly with the US by starting
right from the 60s,this ad seems to be the love child of vodka and a rerun
of "Mad Men" :)

[StopCensoringMe]

12:01 PM on 07/07/2010

Well, "scooby de dooby do love," indeed.

[Cye]

12:01 AM on 07/07/2010

I honestly find ads like this difficult to understand­. What does a naked woman have to do with buying a flight with this airline? Are they saying she'll she be on the tarmac washing the wheel when you take off, and that's the reason you should fly with them?

A while a go, I saw a magazine add for the cricket. It had a bond bikini-cla­d woman wearing shin protectors and goves. Again, I don't get it!! Just what are they trying to say? There are no bikini-cla­d in the current team, so what's this woman doing on the pitch with cricket gear?

I wouldn't fly an airline just because some naked hot guy is photograph­ed washing the aeroplane'­s wheel. But that's just me. Its just so tawdry and cynical.

[spagma]

04:15 PM on 07/07/2010

Its not about the associatio­n of the bikini clad woman to their product, but about keeping the viewers attention while they advertise their product. They attempt to occupy more time in your mind, and it all comes down to hoping you think of them first when you need what they sell.

[pmagellan]

02:37 AM on 07/08/2010

I think it creates goodwill in the hearts of men, maybe towards the company who provided them with the beautiful moment.

[Cye]

08:22 AM on 07/08/2010

And what about women? Any good will for women in all this?

[realitytrumpsbull]

08:53 PM on 07/06/2010

One of the oldest truisms on Madison Ave.: Sex sells.

[GraphicMatt]

02:00 PM on 07/06/2010

Didn't an Australian airline just do a commercial where the flight attendants uniforms were painted on?